Inside ICS Class
Today, the assignment of ICS Class to a ship is a confirmation of the fact that the technical condition of the ship ensures her safe operation. Additionally, it ensures protection of the marine environment from pollution. Currently, more than one hundred ships are maintained by ICS Class.
CS Class, is a Recognized Organization (RO), Recognized Security Organization (RSO) and Classification Society (CS) established in the City of Panama in 2005. It has been authorized to offer statutory and class certification on behalf of flag states under mandatory rules, regulations and requirements established by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and administrations.
ICS Class has designed a Quality Management System that exceeds the requirements established in the standard ISO 9001:2015 and IMO Resolutions MSC.349 (92) and MEPC.237 (65) or the “Code for Recognized Organizations” (RO Code), to provide statutory and class certification services to ships.
ICS Class is member of the International Association of Recognized Organizations (IARO) since June 22nd 2008, member of the Pan-American Institute of Naval Engineering (IPIN) since July 08th 2012 and member of the International Association of Technical Survey and Classification Institutions (TSCI) since May 20th 2015.
Over the last 18 years ICS has surpassed ever-changing challenges and gained undeniable authority and worldwide recognition
ICS Class has gained more experience in applying the Rules and Regulations for the Classification and Construction of Ships as well as all statutory requirements which regulates our technical activities.
ICS Class takes an active role in preparing and executing certification of ships and shipping companies, to comply with the International Management Code for Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention (ISM Code). ICS has been authorized by over half a dozen flag state administrations to perform certification of shipping companies and ships for compliance with the ISM Code.
The compliance of ship design, construction and operation with the international conventions, codes and other standards is essential for the prevention of marine accidents. The problem of promoting safety at sea involves the estimation of risks for humans at sea. The application of ISM Code can significantly increase the safety of fleet operation under ICS certification, since the implementation of the ISM Code will minimize the errors due to the human element.
ICS is increasingly involved in the certification of ships for compliance with the International Ship & Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) as Recognized Security Organization authorized by other flag state Administrations.
Particular attention is paid to the training of personnel in order to improve the qualification of ICS surveyors worldwide.
ICS Class is a member of InterMaritime Group, which is formed by a group companies providing a vast array of maritime services (ship registration, crew licenses, crew training, radio accounting authority services, INMARSAT service activation, marine legal consultancy, bunker surveys, and much more)
Authorizations and Regulations
ICS Class is authorized and recognized to impart class and statutory certifications on behalf of the following maritime administrations
Panama Maritime Authority
ICS Class is authorized by the Panama Maritime Authority since 2006. The company has been providing Statutory and Class certifications for Panama Vessels for over a decade.
The Panama Maritime Authority was established in 1917 as an open ship registry. With more than 100 years of experience is the largest in the world, currently managing a fleet of more than 8,000 Vessels accounting for more than 222 GRT.
Directorate General of Merchant Marine Honduras
ICS Class is duly approved to provide statutory surveys and certification of ships by the DGMM Honduras.
DGGM of Honduras is an open registry and was established in 1940. The DGGM stands for shipping safety and the marine environment.
International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize (IMMARBE)
ICS Class is recognized by IMMARBE for statutory certification of ships under the Government of Belize.
Belize has been a member state of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) since 1990. IMMARBE was established to manage the fleet under this flag.
Other Flag State Administrations have approved ICS Class as a RO
ISO 9001-2015
InterMaritime Certification Services is certified by Bureau Veritas to impart Class & Statutory Certifications on behalf of flag states under mandatory rules and regulations from IMO instruments and national legislations.
our
pillars
At ICS Class we strive to contribute to the safety of navigation.
We strive to uphold these values by providing our classification and statutory certification services in compliance with the requirements established by the flag state and interested parties.
As part of our culture towards quality, we promote in all our levels the following cultural values:
- Dedication to quality.
- Pride for the prestige of our organization.
- Stimulus to the auto-preparation and individual creativity.
- teamwork with awareness in good performance.
- Technical rigor, impartiality, confidentiality and professional ethical performance.
- Responsibility to the authorizations granted to the organization.
- Responsibility to the interested parties and society in general.
ICS Class aims to establish itself in the international maritime community as a Classification Society, Recognized Organization and Recognized Security Organization by flag states. ICS Class pushes to be recognized as a mature organization. We aspire to become a distinguished part of the community measured by our performance and the continuous improvement of our Quality Management System.
At ICS Class, considering the purpose and context of the organization and in compliance with the authorizations given by flag states, we are committed to the continuous improvement of our quality management system to contribute with the safety of navigation, pollution prevention from ships in service and the safety of life at sea. With our commitment to improved service to our clients and to uphold the legal system we push to promote these three standards always.
Code of Ethics
Class Societies & Recognized Organizations (ROs) live on their reputation. Acceptance of their technical work can only be maintained by continuously proving integrity, professional competence and quality services.
The decisive bodies by which demand for the work and therefore for the existence of the Class/ROs is ultimately governed by national administrations, ship underwriters and P&I Clubs.
Class/ROs cover fields with their Class & Statutory works which are theirs for historic reasons, some of which would, however, be otherwise within the responsibility of the national administrations. Class & Statutory is part of the required care for the overall safety of ships for which the national administrations have traditionally accepted responsibility and Class/ROs basic requirements for structural strength, and mechanical and electrical systems have thus been made mandatory.
A good part of the Class/ROs sources of work are delegated statutory duties. The scope and extent of such delegations depend on how the national administrations judge the abilities and the professional ethics of the Class/ROs.
The relation to ship underwriters and P&I Clubs can only work by virtue of the fact that they continue to have a need for the services rendered by the Class/ROs. If, in their view, the statements of the organizations become insufficient or unreliable, ship underwriters and P&I Clubs may use their own sources.
Anything that is detrimental to the Class/ROs reputation for integrity and competence must therefore be avoided for Intermaritime Certification Services (ICS), including surveyors & auditors and is an essential measure for safeguarding the reputation of ICS.
The observation of the Code of Ethics is applicable to Intermaritime Certification Services (ICS), hereinafter called as “ICS”.
A surveyor or auditor must always be made to realize that all his activities are taken as indicative by ICS.
2.1 Guiding Principles
Each surveyor/auditor has to realize and to accept the present Code of Ethics as reflected in ICS is desired from all perspectives.
2.2 Credibility
Each surveyor/auditor shall refrain from any improper or questionable methods including the use of false, incorrect, incomplete or tendentious information in soliciting work and shall decline to pay or to accept commissions for securing such work. Each surveyor/auditor shall not use unethical means to obtain advancement in the marine field or to injure others in the marine community.
2.3 Independence
The surveyor/auditor shall no engage in any activities that may conflict with their independence of judgment and integrity in relation to their statutory certification and services. Also, shall not be the designer, manufacturer, supplier, installer, purchaser, owner, user or maintainer of the item subject to the statutory certification and services, nor the authorized representative of any of these parties.
2.4 Impartiality
The Technical staff shall be free from any pressures, which might affect their judgment in performing statutory certification and services.
2.5 Confidentiality of Information
The companies shall consider all submitted information including certificates, survey reports and other technical, commercial or strategic information to be proprietary and the contents or copies shall not be made available to another party without the authorization of ICS.
2.6 Issuing documents without appropriate action
No surveyor/auditor shall issue, stamp or endorse class, statutory or other documents without performance of the respective surveys or audits and/or the required appropriate actions and without an authorization granted by ICS.
3.1 General
The basis services (technical and field) rendered to the marine industry but must not lead to compromises on safety of life and property at sea or to the lowering of technical standards.
3.2 Marketing
3.2.1 Each surveyor/auditor is free to market its technical and related activities in a manner considered necessary to achieve its objectives. However, marketing methods should not be pursued to a position which involves deliberate misrepresentation in order to obtain business to the detriment of other ICS’s surveyor/auditor.
3.2.2 A surveyor/auditor shall not knowingly pass on to another party any information which is client confidential so as to place that company in a position of advantage.
3.2.3 A surveyor/auditor shall not knowingly undermine the reputation of another surveyor/auditor by spreading false, incorrect or biased information.
3.2.4 Any surveyor/auditor can decide to apply and publicize any change to its or their regulations that goes beyond the standards or procedures established within ICS. However, when notifying the clients of these changes, the companies concerned shall do so in a manner that is supportive of the image and aims of ICS and suitably acknowledges ICS initiatives, if any, in the field addressed. The timing of such a statement shall not conflict with press releases under discussion within ICS and already provided with a specific date of publication.
3.2.5 In an effort to obtain Class/Statutory certificates of a ship changing flag, a surveyor/auditor should not misrepresent the degree of recognition of ICS by the new national administration.
3.3 Non-acceptance of new contractual situation
If conditions and arrangements of existing bilateral agreements between surveyor/auditor are changed following conclusion of (a) new agreement(s) by one of the parties to the original agreement with a third party, in favor of that party, the new situation shall be made public as necessary and shall be respected by the other party to the original agreement.
3.4 Dual Classification
No class surveyor shall intentionally ignore existing dual classification arrangements with another classification society, i.e. perform surveys for his society, as if the ship was single class only, without notifying the other society at all. One society shall not prevent the other society from participating directly in a survey on a vessel which enjoys dual classification, should they wish to do so.
3.5 Unauthorized Surveying
3.5.1 It must not happen that a shipowner, having been reminded that surveys are overdue, presents copies of survey reports which has previously performed these overdue surveys without being entitled to do so and without previously notifying the ICS at all.
3.5.2 No surveyor/auditor shall perform inspections of and/or issue certificates for materials, machinery, components, equipment, etc., on behalf of another Class/ROs unless entitled to do so, either by dual classification agreement or by individual authorization from the Class/ROs contracted to the owner.
3.6 Non-Implementation or withdrawal of ICS regulations
3.6.1 If a surveyor/auditor decides not to implement an ICS requirement in part or totally or withdraws an ICS requirement, that surveyor/auditor shall notify other Class/ROs of this action. Such action shall not be used as a means for obtaining business to the disadvantage of ICS.
3.6.2 A surveyor/auditor shall not deliberately misinterpret any ICS requirement, instruction or procedural in such a manner as to diminish the intent of the requirement, instruction or procedural in order to obtain business.
The observance of the Code of Ethics is a mandatory requirement for surveyors/auditors and is an essential measure for safeguarding the reputation and integrity of ICS.
The present Code of Ethics is duly signed by the Surveyor / Auditor authorized in order to guarantee his awareness.
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